Archives For Theology

Praise God for Solomon’s Glorious Worldwide Legacy!

August 25, 2013

According to Scripture, God blessed Solomon with wisdom that exceeded that of any other person that has ever lived (1 Kin. 3:12) other than Jesus Christ (Matt. 12:42). God, however, did not just give His wisdom to Solomon and to His people Israel when He did so because Solomon in a remarkable way was a channel of that divine wisdom to all the earth:

1Ki 4:34 And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.

1Ki 10:23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom. 24 And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.

Furthermore, the wisdom that God gave Solomon was multifaceted:

1Ki 4:32 And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.

 33 And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.

This biblical data shows that God has greatly blessed the whole world through Solomon in a profound way that I believe is little appreciated in our day. Only God knows how much good other nations besides Israel have experienced over the years because of God’s goodness to them through Solomon’s glorious worldwide legacy.

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for your matchless wisdom that you have imparted to all mankind through Solomon! Praise the Lord!

 

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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Nine Reasons Why Solomon Did Not Perish Eternally

August 19, 2013

Later in his life, Solomon sinned grievously against God. Does Solomon’s sinfulness late in his life and the lack of mention of his repentance mean that he died as an apostate and perished eternally?

Based on my study of Scripture, I believe that there are at least nine solid reasons to hold that he did not perish eternally.

Solomon Did Not Completely Turn Away from God

Scripture records the horrific sinfulness of Solomon later in his life in several passages. First Kings 11 is the primary passage.

Solomon disobeyed God’s commands not to marry women from certain nations who would surely cause him to turn after their gods (1 Kin. 11:1-3; 10, 11). Just as God warned, his foreign wives turned his heart away after other gods (1 Kin. 11:3, 4). As a result, he did much evil in God’s sight, building high places “for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods” (1 Kin. 11:5-8).

Solomon’s horrific sinfulness so angered the Lord that He decreed that He would certainly tear the kingdom from him and give it to his servant (1 Kin. 11:9-11). The Lord stirred up adversaries against Solomon who plagued him for the rest of his life (1 Kin. 11:14-25), and Jereboam rebelled against him (1 Kin. 11:26-40).

Three verses inform us about the rest of his acts, his death, and his burial in Jerusalem, the city of David his father (1 Kin. 11:41-43a-b). His son Rehoboam then reigned in his place (1 Kin. 11:43c).

Two other passages corroborate the dark record of Solomon’s later life (2 Kin. 23:13; Neh. 13:25, 26).

In spite of the darkness that these passages about Solomon record, First Kings 11 makes clear, however, that Solomon did not completely turn away from God:

1 Kings 11:4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

1 Kings 11:6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.

The statement that Solomon’s “heart was not perfect with the LORD his God” (1 Kin. 11:4) implies that it was still imperfectly “with the LORD his God.” The statement that he “went not fully after the LORD” (1 Kin. 11:6) also implies that he yet had a continuing relationship with Him.

Solomon did not perish eternally because he never did completely turn away from God. Many other Scriptural considerations confirm this interpretation.

God’s Promises to David about Solomon

Long before Solomon had been born, God made some special promises to David about a special son named Solomon (1 Chron. 22:9) that he would have:

2Sa 7:12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

 13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

 14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:

 15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.

God promised that He would have a Father-son relationship with Solomon, David’s son, who would build for Him a house for His name (2 Sam. 7:13; cf. 1 Chron. 28:6). His special relationship with that seed would include His chastening him if he would commit iniquity (2 Sam. 7:14).

Furthermore, God promised David that although He would chasten that son when he would commit iniquity, He would not take away from His lovingkindness, as He did with Saul (2 Sam. 7:15; 1 Chron. 17:13). These promises make it impossible for Solomon to have perished eternally.

God’s Loving Solomon at His Birth

Beyond God’s special promises about Solomon, God had a special regard for Solomon when he was born:

2Sa 12:24 And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.

 25 And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.

Solomon is the only person of whom the Scripture explicitly specifies that the Lord loved him when he was born. Moreover, God’s sending a prophet to give him a special name Jedidiah, which means “beloved of the Lord,” highly emphasizes God’s special love for Solomon.

God’s special promises to David about Solomon and His special love for Solomon as a baby make it certain that we will see Solomon in heaven one day.                                                                                                        

Solomon Loved God

The inspired writer of First Kings says that Solomon loved God:

1 Ki 3:3 And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.

In his natural state, no man loves God (Rom. 5:10; Rom. 8:7); Solomon’s loving God shows that he was a believer. Although his love for God was incomplete, it was genuine because God first loved him (2 Sam. 12:24-25; cf. 1 John 4:19).

As a believer who loved God, Solomon did not perish eternally when he died.

God’s Chastening Solomon

Solomon was David’s son who built the Temple (1 Kin. 5-6) and later committed iniquity. As He had promised to do, God chastened Solomon “with the rod of men and with the stripe of the children of men” (2 Sam. 7:14) through Hadad and Razon (1 Kin. 11:14-25).

God’s chastening Solomon in His mercy to him (cf. 2 Sam. 7:15) shows that Solomon was a true believer whose Heavenly Father chastened him because He loved him (Prov. 3:11-12; written by Solomon). Solomon was a true son of the Heavenly Father who chastens every child of His (Heb. 12:4-11, which quotes Prov. 3:11-12).

Furthermore, First Corinthians 11 teaches plainly that those whom God chastens, He chastens so that they will not be condemned with the world:

1Co 11:30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

Even those whom God chastens with death because they do not repent (“many sleep” [1 Cor. 11:30]) will not be condemned with the world (1 Cor. 11:32).

Scripture does not give any clear indication that Solomon repented of his sinfulness before he died. Even if he did not repent before he died, we would be right in inferring that God chastened him with death for his being an unrepentant believer so that he would not be condemned with the world (1 Cor. 11:30-32).

Because of God’s faithfulness to chasten those whom He loves, Solomon, and all other true believers will be together in heaven one day!

The Record of Solomon’s Life in Second Chronicles

Amazingly, the lengthy record of Solomon’s life in Second Chronicles (2 Chron. 1-9) does not explicitly mention anything about Solomon’s great sinfulness. Because 2 Chronicles records at length the sinfulness of other kings of Israel and Judah (for example, 2 Chron. 33:1-9), the lack of mention of Solomon’s sinfulness suggests that God regarded Solomon in a special way so that He inspired the writing of this book of Scripture that does not say explicitly that he sinned against God.

Furthermore, Ecclesiastes also does not explicitly say that Solomon sinned against God. In fact, except for 1 Kings 11 and a few other verses in later Scripture, the vast majority of narrative Scripture passages (excludes Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon) present Solomon in a profoundly positive and spiritual light that does not support holding that he perished eternally when he died.

A Striking Passage That Includes an Emphatic Statement about God’s Love for Solomon

Nehemiah reiterated God’s special love for Solomon as part of his challenge to people who were sinning through mixed marriages:

Neh 13:26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.

Strikingly, this restatement of God’s love for Solomon that emphasizes the uniqueness of God’s love for him (“among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God”) occurs in a statement that has as its main point how his association with evil women made even him to sin. This passage thus explicitly reminds us of God’s special love for Solomon, which again points to his not perishing eternally when he died.

Solomon Was Not an Apostate Writer of Multiple Books of Scripture

Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, most of Proverbs, and he probably also wrote Psalms 72 and 127. Peter specifies that those whom God inspired to write Scripture were special men:

2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

According to these statements, Solomon was a holy man of God whom the Holy Spirit moved to write the Scripture that he wrote. It is untenable to hold that Solomon was such a man of God when he wrote the Scriptures that he wrote but then he apostatized to perish eternally.

No Mention of Solomon in the NT as an Example of One Who Apostatized

The NT briefly refers to Solomon in seven verses (Matt. 1:6, 7; 6:29; 12:42; Luke 11:31; 12:27; Acts 7:47). Had Solomon apostatized from the faith to perish eternally, he would surely have been mentioned in one or more warning passages in the NT because he would have been a profound example of one who did so.

The lack of mention of his apostatizing in the NT makes it certain that he did not do so. We should not read into the OT record of his life what the Bible never says directly, that is, he apostatized, died unrepentant of his sins, and perished eternally.

Conclusion

Based on the reasons given above, I believe that Solomon did not perish eternally when he died. We will see Solomon in heaven one day because of God’s faithfulness to those whom He loves, even when they as believers sin profoundly against Him.

In His love, God chastened Solomon intensely because of what he did. Let us fear to sin as Solomon did through his ungodly associations with ungodly people.

See also Did Solomon Repent Before He Died?

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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Will We As Christians Give a Future Account for Certain Sins?

August 13, 2013

In Miletus, the apostle Paul earnestly ministered to a group of church elders whom he summoned from Ephesus (Acts 20:17-38). In his address to them, Paul made a statement that raises a crucial question—will we as Christians give a future account for certain sins?

Paul’s Unceasing Evangelistic Ministry in Asia Minor

Paul reminded these elders that they knew the life of serving the Lord that he led among them during his entire time with them (Acts 20:18-19). He emphasized that he had not refrained from ministering to them and to others concerning repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:20-21).

He informed them of how he was constrained in spirit to go to Jerusalem regardless of the bonds and afflictions that the Spirit had testified to him would await him everywhere (Acts 20:22-23). Testifying that he was unmoved by any of these things, he explained that he lived his life selflessly so that he might finish joyfully his course and the ministry that the Lord Jesus had given him to testify the gospel (Acts 20:24).

Paul’s Certainty about the Future

Paul then declared that he knew that these all among whom he had been preaching the kingdom of God would never see his face again (Acts 20:25). Apparently, the Lord in some unexplained manner had informed Paul of this fact.

Paul’s Confidence concerning His Freedom from Bloodguiltiness

Because Paul knew that he would never have another opportunity to minister to them personally, he wanted to be certain that he had finished giving them all the truth that they needed to hear from him. He, therefore, testified to them that day that he was “pure from the blood of all men” because he had not shunned declaring to them “all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:26-27).

Paul thus asserted his own confidence that he was free from bloodguiltiness concerning all people. He, however, did much more than that because saying these things he implicitly challenged these elders about their own need to be free from the blood of all men by giving them all the truth that they themselves should.

The Profound Implications That Paul’s Statements concerning Bloodguiltiness Seem to Have

What Paul said to these elders about why he was confident that he was pure from the blood of all men appears to have some profound implications. Paul apparently believed that he would not have been free from such bloodguiltiness had he failed to declare all the counsel of God to them.

Did Paul, then, believe that had he failed in that respect, such failure would have been something that he would have had to give an account for to the Lord one day after his life on earth had ended? If so, Paul would be teaching that he believed that Christians would give a future account for certain sins.

Does Paul’s Teaching in Romans 14 Confirm His Statements in Acts 20?

Paul’s teaching in Romans 14 may help us to assess the validity of our understanding that his statements in Acts 20 have such implications. In Romans 14, he cites the future accountability of every believer to the Lord as his Judge to warn believers against judging their brethren wrongly or treating them with contempt (Rom. 14:10-13). Although Acts 20 pertains to a sin of omission of necessary testimony but Romans 14 pertains to sins of commission of treating brethren unjustly, future accountability for the one would necessarily seem to imply future accountability for the other.

Whether or not Paul’s statements in Acts 20 actually do imply such future accountability for certain sins, clearly, he believed that future accountability to the Lord must vitally shape our present behavior. In view of the potential implications of his statements in Acts 20, we should be sure that we have confessed, forsaken, and made any necessary reparations for all our known sins while we still have the opportunity to do so.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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A Fascinating Account of God’s Working in Human Lives That Should Lead Us to Trust Him in All Our Ways

August 11, 2013

First Samuel 9 presents the account of Saul’s searching for his father’s donkeys that were lost. In a fascinating way, this account reveals God’s working in human lives to bring about His purposes.

Kish Sends His Son and A Servant to Look for His Donkeys

Kish was a prominent man in Benjamin (1 Sam. 9:1) whose son Saul was both the most handsome person in Israel and the tallest (1 Sam. 9:2). When Kish’s donkeys were lost, he sent Saul and one of his servants to seek them (1 Sam. 9:3).

Unable to find them after a lengthy search, Saul spoke to his servant to return to his father so that his father would not become concerned about Saul and his servant instead of the lost donkeys (1 Sam. 9:4-5). Because they were in the land of Zuph and the servant knew that there was a man of God there, he convinced Saul instead to go to the prophet to seek counsel from him about the way that they should go (1 Sam. 9:6-10).

Saul and the Servant Meet Samuel

As they were going to the city to seek out the prophet, they encountered some young women who directed them about where they should go to meet him (1 Sam. 9:11-13). As they were following their directions, Samuel, the prophet, met them because he was going to the same place that the women had directed them to go meet him (1 Sam. 9:14).

Remarkable Information about God’s Working

The next verses in First Samuel 9 record what God had informed Samuel about on the day prior to this meeting with Saul:

1Sa 9:15 Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying,

 16 To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me [bold added].

These verses show that God had told Samuel that He would send him tomorrow around the very time of their meeting a man out of Benjamin to anoint as the captain over His people who would deliver them.

When we read, however, the earlier verses in the chapter, we do not find any indication that God spoke to either Saul or the servant to go to the prophet. Nor do we find any indication of His directing them to do so through any means of which they were aware.

Without the information in First Samuel 9:16, we would not have known even to think that it was God who sent Saul to Samuel through the events that took place. In a fascinating way, this passage thus teaches us about God’s working in human lives to direct them to His ends without their having any direct communication from Him about what He wants them to do.

It also illustrates how God uses circumstances and people in our lives to bring us together with other people for His purposes and does so in inscrutable ways that we should not regard as luck, chance, or coincidence.

This account should encourage us to trust God to work in our lives in ways that are “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Eph. 3:20), just as He did for Kish, Saul, and his servant, who all had no idea of what God was going to do through Kish’s sending them to look for his lost donkeys!

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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More Insights about the Golden Calf Incident

August 7, 2013

Scripture provides explicit information about the Golden Calf incident in 59 verses in six passages (Exod. 32:1-35; Deut. 9:8-21; Neh. 9:18; Ps. 106:19-23; Acts 7:39-41; 1 Cor. 10:7). Various considerations make clear the profound importance of this information for New Testament believers.

(To profit fully from this article, please be sure that you have read my previous article Toward Fully Understanding the Golden Calf Incident before reading this one.)

Great Men of God Teach Us about This Incident

At least five great men of God (Moses, Nehemiah, Luke, Stephen, and Paul) were directed by God to consider this a vital event in the history of God’s people.[1] Just this fact by itself shows that we should study it thoroughly to learn all that we can from it.

In the two longest passages (Exod. 32; Deut. 9), Moses provides 49 of the 59 explicit verses about the incident. Moses thus highlights this event in the Pentateuch in a noteworthy way.

The unknown writer of Psalm 106 gives us five verses about the incident. Luke records for us three verses about the Golden Calf incident from Stephen’s message that rebuked the high priest and many others about their sinfulness (Acts 7).

Nehemiah and Paul provide us with one verse each. As we will see later, the Golden Calf incident plays a far more important role in First Corinthians (and the NT as a whole) than the fact that there is only one explicit verse recorded about it in the book.

From Moses to Nehemiah to Paul and Luke

Around 1000 years after Moses had written about it twice (c. 1405 B.C), Nehemiah prayed and wrote about the incident (c. 425 B.C.).[2] Psalm 106 was probably written at an unknown time (c. 1410 – 430 B.C.) after Moses wrote his two accounts and before Nehemiah wrote about the incident.

Somewhere around 486 years or so probably elapsed from the reference in Nehemiah 9 to the writing of both the statements in the NT about the incident (1 Cor. [c. A.D. 54-56]; Acts [c. A.D. 61]). Approximately 1470 years thus separate the writing of the first account (Exod. 32) from the last account (Acts 7).

This chronological data shows that God directed writers of Scripture to inform His people explicitly about the Golden Calf incident on at least three key occasions in their history:

(1) Before their entering Canaan after the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness (Ex. 32; Deut. 9); (2) at the renewing of the covenant after the walls of Jerusalem had been  rebuilt (Neh. 9); and (3) during the strengthening of the NT Church through their receiving the writings of Paul (1 Cor. 10) and Luke (Acts 7).

We will see later that Paul’s use of the Golden Calf incident actually climaxes divine revelation about the incident in a profound way.

The First Explicit Record of Idolatrous Worship among God’s People

Although a few previous references point to the presence of idols in the households of some of God’s people (cf. Gen. 31:19, 32), the Golden Calf incident is the first explicit record in Scripture of idolatrous worship among God’s people. It is also the first record of their eating meat that was sacrificed to idols (Exod. 32:6; cf. Acts 7:41).

Having just been redeemed from Egypt by an incredible display of God’s miraculous works (Ps. 106:21-22), their doing so in a feast that was supposed to be “a feast to the Lord” (Exod. 32:5) immensely magnifies the sinfulness of what they did on this occasion. In an exceedingly appalling way, the Israelites intensely provoked God in the Golden Calf incident (Exod. 32:10; Deut. 9:18; Ps. 106:23).

A careful examination of First Corinthians 10 will reveal the profound significance that all these points about the Golden Calf incident have for NT believers.

(See the rest of the articles in this series under point 11 here.)


[1] We do not know who wrote Psalm 106. If neither Moses nor Nehemiah was its author, we may have six great men of God who teach us about the importance of this incident.

[2] Approximate dates for the OT books are from charts in The New Open Bible: Study Edition; for the NT books, they are from New Testament Introduction (BJU Seminary).

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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Is The End of All Things Near?

August 5, 2013

Is the end of all things near? If it is, what should Christians be like and what should they be doing?

Scripture answers both of these questions definitively: “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer” (1 Pet. 4:7). We must heed this teaching diligently!

The End of All Things is Near!

Probably around 65 AD, the apostle Peter wrote to encourage believers who were suffering for their faith in Jesus Christ. Under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he declared, “The end of all things is at hand” (1 Pet. 4:7a).

Even though 1,948 years later, the end of all things has not yet come, what Peter wrote is still as true today as it was when he wrote it. His statement is true because time is different with the Lord than it is with man: 

“But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Pet. 3:8).

Although the end of all things has not yet come, we can be certain that it is near! By faith, we must accept this teaching from God and reject our own ideas to the contrary.

Furthermore, we must not be presumptive and think that the end will not come at least for some unspecified time. Because it is at hand, we must be mindful every day that the end of all things is near.

We must reject as unbiblical any theological viewpoint or teaching that is contrary to what Peter wrote. Because the end of all things is near, our thinking and living must be radically different from that of the world (1 Pet. 4:2-4) and from false teachers in the Church (2 Pet. 3).

We would do well to stress to ourselves daily the reality that the end of all things is near! Moreover, we ought to exhort one another continually with this truth so that we do not relapse into worldly thinking and living that is contrary to this truth to any extent.

What Christians Should Be Like and What They Should Be Doing

Because the end of all things is near, Christians must be sober and watch unto prayer (1 Pet. 4:7b). These commands direct us infallibly about what we should be like and what we should be doing because the end of all things is near.

When we lack sobriety, we show that our thinking is unbiblical. We show that we are not living rightly in view of the end of all things being near.

When we are not watching unto prayer, we are not right with God. We are not living properly in view of the end of all things being near.

The poor attendance in the prayer meetings of many local churches is a telling sign that the Church today is seriously lacking a proper perspective on the end of all things being near. Christians who regularly skip prayer meeting at their church without just cause (such as serious illness, unavoidable providential hindrance, etc.) need to repent and stop forsaking the assembling of themselves together to “watch unto prayer” (Heb. 10:25; 1 Pet. 4:7).

Scripture plainly distinguishes between being at home and assembling as a church (cf. “when ye come together in the church” [1 Cor. 11:18] vs. “have ye not houses” [1 Cor. 11:22]; “at home” vs. “in the church” [1 Cor. 14:35]). Neither staying at home and praying as a family nor leaving church before prayer time to pray at home is, therefore, a valid substitute for assembling yourself together with your church during the regularly scheduled prayer meeting time of your local church (cf. Acts 2:42).

Yes, various people will have extenuating circumstances on occasion that necessitate their missing prayer meeting or leaving before prayer time, but doing so regularly will certainly undercut you and your church’s heeding the teaching of Scripture concerning watching unto prayer in view of the end of all things being near. Apart from truly exceptional situations, every Christian should make every effort to be at his church to pray during the time that his church sets aside for praying in their prayer meeting (Acts 2:42).

“But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer” (1 Pet. 4:7).

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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“The Just Shall Live by Faith: A Faith that Works” — Lesson IX (7/28/13)

July 28, 2013

A Faith that Works in View of Both Comings of Christ

Eight weeks ago, we began our study of The Just Shall Live by Faith: A Faith that Works with four major objectives:

  • evangelistically: explain properly to lost people how faith and works interrelate in how we come to God
  • sharpen our skills in using these passages for personal edification/correction as well as for helping others; counseling self and others, including working with believers who may have lapsed into erroneous thinking about faith/works
  • challenge others to live righteously in keeping with their righteous standing before God
  • motivate ability to address these issues

We ended our first lesson by briefly considering Hebrews 10:35-39. In this last lesson, we will first consider how Habakkuk 2:4 is used in Hebrews 10:38.

We will then conclude our series, The Just Shall Live by Faith: A Faith that Works, by looking at many other passages that show that the just who live by faith have a faith that works in view of both comings of Christ.

How Hebrews 10:37-38 Uses Habakkuk 2:3-4

Hebrews 10 is the third NT passage that uses Habakkuk 2:4. Note that Hebrews 10 uses not just Habakkuk 2:4 but also Habakkuk 2:3:

Hab 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Heb 10:37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

Comparing the wording of these two passages brings out what initially might seem to be a key change made by the writer of Hebrews. Whereas Habakkuk 2 talks about the coming of the vision at its appointed time, Hebrews 10 speaks of the coming of “he that shall come.”

As we have seen, however, the vision that Habakkuk 2:3 speaks of is in fact a prophecy of the Lord’s coming in judgment to destroy the wicked and save the just (Hab. 3:3-15). The writer of Hebrews is not changing the sense of Habakkuk; he is bringing out the truth that Habakkuk was teaching all along!

Hebrews 11 goes on to mention the faith of Enoch, who diligently sought God for 300 years but never saw the fulfillment of the coming of the Lord to judge that he prophesied (Jude 14-15). Both Habakkuk 2-3 and Hebrews 10:37 thus speak of the just who live by faith having a faith in the future coming of the Lord!

From the use of Habakkuk 2:3-4 in Hebrews 10, we learn that the writer of Hebrews was exhorting suffering believers to endure in view of the certain coming of the Lord that had been promised to them. Doing so, they would show that they are just people who live by faith.

Faith without Works is Dead

We have now examined the use of Habakkuk 2:4 in Romans 1, Galatians 3, and Hebrews 10 to learn more about how the just who live by faith have a faith that works. In order to develop fully our understanding of how faith and works relate, we also need to consider James 2 because it is a key passage about that subject.

Although James 2 does not quote from Habakkuk 2:4, it still has vital teaching about a faith that works. James 2:14-26 has caused many people to have questions about how faith and works relate in a person’s being a just person who lives by faith.

We can summarize the teaching of this passage with three key statements that James makes:

1. A faith that has no works cannot save (James 2:14).

2. A faith that has no works is dead (James 2:17, 26).

3. A faith that has no works is useless (James 2:20).

We need to compare the statements here about Abraham (James 2:21-23) with the closely related teaching about Abraham in Genesis 15, Romans 4, Galatians 3, and Hebrews 11, which all teach us that Abraham was justified before God by faith without works. Through comparing Scripture with Scripture, we therefore understand that James 2 is not talking about his being justified before God by faith and works.

In fact, Hebrews 11 makes clear that Abraham had a faith that pleased God (Heb. 11:8; cf. Gen. 12:1-4; Heb. 11:9) long before he offered Isaac (Heb. 11:17-19). At the same time, we must understand from what James teaches us about Abraham that his faith was perfected through the works that he did (James 2:22).

Key Points about a Faith that Works in View of Both Comings of Christ

We end our series with six key points that summarize what we have studied about how the just who live by faith have a faith that works in view of both comings of Christ.

1. In faith toward God (1 Thess. 1:8), we are to turn to God from idols to serve a living and true God and to wait for the Second Coming of His Son, whom He raised from the dead (1 Thess. 1:9-10).

2. We are to evangelize sinners with information about both Comings of Christ (Acts 10:38-42; 17:30-31; cf. 1 Thess. 5:1-10), including that the Father sent Him to be the Savior of the world (1 John 4:14).

3. We are to refrain from assessing one another in unrighteous ways because we will give an account to the Christ who died and lived again to be the Lord of both the dead and the living (Rom. 14:9-12).

4. We are to endure persecutions and sufferings by faith in both comings of Christ (Heb. 10:35-39; 12:1-2; 2 Thess. 1:3-12; James 5:6-11).

5. As we fight the good fight, finish the course, and keep the faith (cf. “Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel” [2 Tim. 2:8]; “the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom” [2 Tim. 4:1]), we must love the Lord’s appearing as the righteous judge who will reward us all (2 Tim. 4:7-8).

6. We are to read, hear, and heed what is written in the book of Revelation, which was given to us by Jesus Christ, “the first begotten of the dead” and He who “washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Rev. 1:5). We must behold that “He cometh with clouds” (Rev. 1:7). We are to pray for His Second Coming (Rev. 22:12-21).

See all the lessons in this series here.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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Revelation 3:10 and the Rapture Debate

July 27, 2013

Although interpreters today extensively debate whether Revelation 3:10 is a promise of the Rapture, I believe that a straightforward reading of the text in its context provides a clear answer:

Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

Jesus’ Messages to the Seven Churches

 The glorified Jesus commanded the apostle John to write letters to seven churches in Asia Minor: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea (Rev. 2-3). He directed John to write to “the angel of the church” in each city, which refers not to angelic beings but to the pastor of the each church (Rev. 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14).

Although it was addressed to a specific church, each letter was also for all the other churches in John’s day because it included the following statement: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). Furthermore, each letter is also for all churches of all time because saith is a present tense verb that communicates what the Spirit continues to this day to say to every church.

The Message to the Church in Philadelphia

The sixth letter begins by pointing the pastor of the church in Philadelphia to the unique authority of the glorified Jesus (Rev. 3:7). It then communicates Jesus’ knowledge of their deeds (Rev. 3:8a) and His directives to them to behold two realities, one concerning the present (Rev. 3:8b) and one concerning the future (Rev. 3:9).

A key promise (Rev. 3:10), a key declaration (Rev. 3:11a), and a key directive (Rev. 3:11b) comprise the teaching that pertains most directly to Rapture debate. The letter ends with a glorious promise to those who overcome (Rev. 3:12) and a command to everyone who has an ear to hear the Spirit’s message to all the churches (Rev. 3:13).

The Teaching of Revelation 3:10

Revelation 3:10 informs the pastor about what Jesus will do for him because he has persevered in keeping Jesus’ word:

Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

Jesus promised to keep him “from the hour of temptation,” a reference to a specific time that He explained would “come upon all the world.” The promise is one of exemption from that time when the entire world would experience that temptation.

Jesus also explained that this time would be a period when the entire world of people “that dwell upon the earth” would be tried. Here Jesus declared that all those who would suffer during that period would do so in a specific physical location (“upon the earth”).

The natural reading of all these statements points to a promise that exempts the pastor from that time of temptation because he would no longer be physically located among “all the world” of people “that dwell upon the earth” at that time!

Jesus was thus not saying that He would protect the pastor on the earth during that time while the rest of the world that also dwells on the earth would go through the hour of temptation. Instead, Jesus promised to keep him from that time that would try everyone in the world who then dwells upon the earth!

The Flow Thought from Revelation 3:10 to Revelation 3:11-13

Right after the statements in Revelation 3:10, Jesus said, “Behold, I come quickly” (Rev. 3:11a). The flow of thought communicates that the pastor was to look for His coming quickly to keep him from the time of temptation that the entire world of people that dwell on the earth will experience in that hour of temptation.

As he awaits Jesus’ return, the pastor would have to hold fast to what he had so that no man would take his crown (Rev. 3:11b). In the flow of thought, Jesus’ statements emphasize the importance of the pastor’s holding fast to his confidently looking for Jesus to come quickly to keep him from the time of temptation that will come on the entire world of people that dwell on the earth at that time.

Jesus’ subsequent promise to the pastor that he who overcomes would be a pillar in the temple of His God and never go out from it again (Rev. 3:12) fits perfectly in the above explanation of the flow of thought from Revelation 3:10 to Revelation 3:11. At the very time that all those who are on the earth go through the time of temptation, the ones who overcome will be with Jesus in the temple of His God!

They will be there because Jesus will have raptured them out of the earth to be with Him forever! Revelation 3:10 is clear teaching to all the churches of all time about the coming Rapture of the Church!

“Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown” (Rev. 3:11).

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Discipleship, Exposition, Interpretation, Theology
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"The Just Shall Live Faith: A Faith That Works" — Lesson VIII (7/21/13)

July 21, 2013

The Use of Habakkuk 2:4 in Galatians 3:11 and the Issue of Legalism Among the Galatians

The key text for our Sunday school series is Habakkuk 2:4. We have been examining biblical teaching in key passages to understand more about how those who are the just who live by faith have a faith that works.

The NT uses Habakkuk 2:4 three times (Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38). Interestingly, the three books in which the noun faith occurs more than any other books in the NT are those same books: Romans (39x), Hebrews (32x), and Galatians (21x).

Introduction to Galatians

Paul preached to the Galatians as part of his gospel ministry on his first missionary journey (Acts 13-14). Notice how Paul ends his gospel message in a synagogue in Antioch of Pisida by using Habakkuk 1:5 to warn his hearers to accept the good news that justification is by faith in Jesus and not by the works of the Law (Acts 13:38-41)!

Later, Paul preached the gospel to some pagan idolaters in one of the cities of Galatia (Acts 14:15-17). Notice that his preaching the gospel to them corresponds to his later ministry to idolaters in Athens (Acts 17:16-31) and to his key testimony about his practice everywhere of challenging everyone to turn to God (Acts 26:20).

At the end of his missionary journey, Paul returned to Antioch (Acts 14:26-28). Acts 15:1-2 record the events that then took place that likely led to Paul’s writing the book of Galatians.

Paul probably wrote Galatians in about 49 AD or so, just before the Jerusalem Council, which we studied carefully from Acts 15. Galatians is one of the key books in Scripture about the gospel (Romans has the word 10x; Galatians has it 11x).

Its purpose is to refute legalism. The theme of the book is “grace as the basis for salvation” (New Testament Introduction, 6).

Paul wrote to deal with the Galatians because he was amazed at how soon after they had been saved they were being tempted to go after false teaching about the gospel (Gal. 1:6). Some false brethren (Gal. 2:4) had troubled them and were seeking to pervert the gospel of Christ (Gal. 1:7).

Introductory Considerations for Properly Understanding Galatians 3

Galatians 3 is one of the most important chapters about faith in Scripture: the word faith occurs 14x in the chapter and refers to genuine faith every time (only Heb. 11 has more occurrences – 24). Moreover, because 10 of the 11 occurrences of gospel in Galatians come before 3:11, we know that 3:11 comes in connection with intense teaching about the gospel (cf. esp. Gal. 3:8).

How then does Paul use Habakkuk 2:4 in Galatians 3:11 to refute legalism? To answer this question, we need to consider briefly the preceding teaching in Galatians 2:11-21.

Paul’s Confrontation of Peter Concerning Hypocrisy That Was Contrary to the Truth of the Gospel

Galatians 2:11-21 records Paul’s confronting Peter after he came to Antioch (Gal. 2:11). Because he feared certain men who came from James, Peter and others who were misled because of his influence were acting hypocritically in a way that was contrary to the truth of the gospel (Gal. 2:12-14).

To rebuke Peter, Paul explained the truth about how people are justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law (Gal. 2:15-19). He also emphasized that he (Paul) had died through the Law so that he might live to God (Gal. 2:19).

Strikingly, Paul then directly linked his justification by faith with his continuing living by faith (Gal. 2:20). He ends this section by emphasizing that he does not nullify the grace of God by holding that justification is through the Law because that would mean that Christ died needlessly (Gal. 2:21).

What Kind of Legalism is Galatians 3 Addressing?

Galatians 3 is certainly Pauline teaching that refutes legalism, but what kind of legalism is it addressing? Many today believe that Galatians 3:3 has in view legalism concerning sanctification.

Does Paul’s flow of thought in Galatians 3 that leads to his use of Habakkuk 2:4 in 3:11 support this belief? Many considerations about Galatians 3 argue against this belief.

First, Paul used very intense language (Gk. “O” [Gal. 3:1]; “foolish” [Gal. 3:1, 3] to refute a very severe error, which would not be fitting if he were dealing with an erroneous view concerning sanctification. Rather, he was rebuking the Galatians about their serious departure from vital teaching about justification by faith (Gal. 2:15-20).

Second, Paul’s subsequent argumentation in Galatians 3:1-14 does not support holding that he was addressing an error concerning sanctification in Galatians 3:3. It does not do so because the key truth that Paul focused on is how the Galatians received the Holy Spirit (Gal. 3:2; cf. 3:5, 14)—either it was through faith or it was through the works of the Law, but it was not both!

He then challenged them whether they were being perfected by the flesh after having begun in the Spirit (Gal. 3:3). Comparing what Paul says here with the issue that led to the Jerusalem Council proceedings (Acts 15:1, 4, and 5), we understand that when Paul spoke of their being perfected by the flesh, he had in mind that they would be circumcised after they had received the Spirit and then would be directed to keep the Law of Moses.

Furthermore, Paul challenged them about their suffering many things (Gal. 3:4), which does not fit with the view that he was dealing with legalism about sanctification—would there have been legalistic Christians who were actually persecuting these new believers for not having a right view of sanctification? No, clearly, Paul was talking about those who persecuted them because they had believed that they had been justified by faith without being circumcised and keeping the Law of Moses (cf. Acts 13:50; 14:2, 5, 19, 22).

The close parallel between Paul’s teaching in Galatians 3:5 and the apostles’ teaching at the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:8, 12) shows that Paul was addressing the same error here that that Council would deal with a short time later. Just as the Council, of which Paul was a part, later conclusively concluded that the Gentiles were saved by faith without circumcision and keeping the works of the Law, so Paul argued for the same truth here (Gal. 3:5).

Paul then further supported that justification is by faith without the works of the Law by arguing for that truth from Scriptural teaching about Abraham’s reception of the gospel promise (Gen. 15:6; 12:3) when he was not circumcised and long before the Law had been given (Gal. 3:6-10). He then explained that the Law itself validates that justification is by faith today as it was with Abraham (Gal. 3:9-10).

Paul then cited Habakkuk 2:4 as conclusive and plain Scriptural evidence that no one is justified by the Law before God (Gal. 3:11). Note carefully that both here as well as in Romans 1:17 Paul removed the pronoun “his” that is in Habakkuk 2:4.

He then argued from Scripture that there is no possibility of mixing faith and the works of the Law (Gal. 3:12). Finally, he concluded this section by speaking of the redemption that Christ provides for us from the curse of the Law (which we never have or could have fulfilled) in order that in Him the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the Sprit through faith (Gal. 3:13-14).

Paul’s chiastic argument about reception of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 3:2, 14) teaches us that this whole section concerns reception of the Spirit when people are justified by faith (cf. Peter’s emphasis on Cornelius’ reception of the Spirit without any works)! Clearly, then, Galatians 3 is Pauline teaching concerning a legalistic approach to justification, not sanctification.

Conclusion

Those who are just by faith should actively combat those who try to distort the gospel truth that justification is by faith and not by the works of the Law. To do so, they must be solidly grounded in the truths that Paul teaches in Galatians 3.

Furthermore, our study of Galatians 3, including Paul’s use of Habakkuk 2:4 in Galatians 3:11, has shown that Paul was not correcting the Galatians in 3:3 about an erroneous view of Christian sanctification. The common practice in the Church today of using Galatians 3:3 as Scriptural support for calling other Christians “legalists” is therefore illegitimate, and we should not misuse this key text to justify our calling other believers “legalists.”

See the other lessons in this series here.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Exposition, Gospel, Sunday School, Theology
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“The Just Shall Live by Faith: A Faith that Works” — Lesson VII (7/14/13): Part II

July 20, 2013

The Relevance of Romans 1, 2, and 14 for A Faith That Works

In Part I of this lesson, we examined how Paul used Habakkuk 2:4 in Romans 1:17. In Part II, we consider the relevance that Romans 1, 2, and 14 have (when they are considered together) for our understanding of a faith that works.

Pauline Teaching about Faith in Romans 14

In Romans 14, Paul first challenges believers concerning their making unrighteous assessments about one another (Rom. 14:1-13). He then challenges them about not being an ungodly spiritual influence on others so that they are spiritually harmed (Rom. 14:13-23).

In both sections of Romans 14, Paul stresses the importance of faith. Speaking about receiving weak brethren “in the faith” (Rom. 14:1), he contrasts those who believe one way versus those who believe another concerning some debatable matters (Rom. 14:2). In the latter section, he underscores the need for faith on the part of any believer in everything that he does (Rom. 14:22-23).

The Importance of Romans 14:9

Romans 14:9 is central to Paul’s challenge to believers to stop judging one another and to stop regarding one another with contempt (Rom. 14:10-13a). In a crucial purpose statement, Paul explains that Christ died and rose again in order that “He might be Lord both of the dead and living (Rom. 14:9).

Because the death and the resurrection are the two central elements in Paul’s teaching about the gospel (1 Cor. 15:3-5), we have a vital statement here about the gospel—Christ experienced both key events for the purpose of becoming the God-exalted supreme judicial authority over all. Romans 14:10-12 confirms this interpretation by specifying that the aspect of being Lord over all that Paul has in mind here concerns who is authorized to assess all believers in those debatable areas (as well as in everything else).

He supports his teaching by citing Isaiah 45:23 as Scriptural teaching that all will bow the knee to God and confess to Him (Rom. 14:11). All of us, therefore, will give an account to God (Rom. 14:12).

Paul taught earlier in Romans that God will judge all through Jesus Christ (Rom. 2:16); the same truth is in view in Paul’s purpose statement here (Rom. 14:9) about the death and resurrection of the Christ! Because we all will give an account to Jesus one day, we must stop judging one another (Rom. 14:13).

Only someone who knows the secrets of each person’s heart can judge them righteously—Christ is that God-appointed Judge (Rom. 2:16)! We, therefore, must diligently concern ourselves with not harming others through what we choose to do in debatable areas of our Christian living (Rom. 14:13b).

Whatever we choose to do in such matters must be of faith (Rom. 14:23) because that is the only way we can please God with anything we do (cf. Heb. 11:6). If we do things that we are unsure whether they are right, we sin.

From Romans 1:1-2:16 and Romans 14, we understand that genuine faith in Jesus Christ displays itself in our stopping our judging others hypocritically (Rom. 2:1-5) or without authorization in debatable matters (Rom. 14:1-13) and in our diligence not to cause others spiritual harm through our choices and actions (Rom. 14:13-21). Those who are just by faith must believe that Jesus is the supreme judicial authority who will judge all people, both unbelievers and believers (Rom. 2:16; 14:9-11), and live their lives as believers who are ever mindful of that truth (cf. Rom. 14:13-23).

The Significance of Key Parallels between Acts 17 and Romans 1, 2, and 14

From our study of Acts 17 and Romans 1, 2, and 14, we note many key parallels between what Paul says in both places:

1. Testimony to God as Creator (Acts 17:24; Rom. 1:20)

2. Information about idolatry being wrong (Acts 17:29; Rom. 1:23-25)

3. Explanation about the connection of God’s withholding His judgment and repentance (Acts 17:30; Rom. 2:4-5)

4. Testimony to God’s appointed Day of Judgment as the reason people must repent (Acts 17:30-31; Rom. 2:5)

5. Testimony to God’s appointed Judge (Acts 17:31; Rom. 2:16)

6. Testimony to the relationship between the Resurrection of Jesus and His appointment to be the Judge of all (Acts 17:31; Rom. 2:16; 14:9)

7. Testimony to the gospel significance of Christ as the God-appointed Judge (Acts 17:18-20; cf. 17:30-31; Rom. 1:3-4; 1:16-18; 2:4-16)

These key parallels show that testimony to Christ as the God-appointed Judge was an important part of Paul’s gospel ministry to both unbelievers (Acts 17:30-31; Rom. 2:16) and believers (Rom. 2:16; 14:9-13)! The just who live by faith must have a faith that works by believing and testifying to these same truths to everyone, just as Paul did.

See all the lessons in this series here.

 

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Evangelism, Exposition, Gospel, Sunday School, Theology
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